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Spielberg ditches Harvey remake

Steven Spielberg has dropped the idea of remaking the classic film Harvey, you know the one starring James Stewart as the man who befriends a six foot invisible rabbit? Dropped he may have (why am I writing like Yoda?) but the idea of the remake hasn't been dropped by the studio.

The film is an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning play written by Mary Chase which was made into the 1950 film, but it has hit problems along the way, one of which has been casting the lead role.

Tom Hanks was Steven Spielberg's first choice for Harvey, but he didn't want to take over the role from that of the iconic James Stewart, and good on him for saying that. I don't think he could have taken over the role, I don't think anyone could have, it's a really hard sell that one.

Next up, according to Variety, was Robert Downey Jr. who didn't actually commit to the film but did help with rewrites on the script by making various suggestions to the production, and it's said that these suggestions never really gelled with Spielberg, and so that was another loss to the production.

Finally, Spielberg is calling it a day. Perhaps there's more to it than the casting, but it does seem like a trial and a half to remake a film that I think is an iconic one for James Stewart.

However hold your horses, the article isn't finished there. Spielberg is off it, but the film remake has not stopped. Fox 2000 are keeping the remake going and chances are they could well return to Downey Jr. and see if he wants to get back on board, after all he's hot property right now, and he might have an interesting and quirky take on the character, maybe bringing a slight Donnie Darko edge to it.

Is there really a call for this remake, and can Downey replace Stewart? Could it get made by anyone other than Spielberg? He remade A Guy Named Joe wonderfully as Always, and that carried the iconic Spencer Tracy